Day 3 – Shopping and a Solo Adventure

The sounds of Dubai drifted in the air as I looked out over the river. I was up earlier than planned and I wanted to get in a last rooftop view of Dubai.

Last rooftop view

Over breakfast it was decided that the day would be spent shopping. We had already seen the Dubai Mall but the Mall of the Emirates would be our destination. After breakfast I quickly packed my things and headed to the lobby to check out. We left our bags at the reception during our exploration of Dubai. Our flights would be departing much later and we had more than enough time to see more of Dubai.

We headed for the closest Metro station, taking in as much of the area as possible.

Beautifully green park along the way

The trip to the Mall of the Emirates was a short trip and soon we walked into the mall. It was huge! Corridors lead into more corridors and suddenly I stood in front of the Ski Dubai.

Glass roofHuman-size Monopoly

Snow clung to the children and their nervous parents rush after them, keeping them safe from danger. I had a few extra souvenirs in my bag after the shopping session. We stopped for coffee and had a seat. We had not had the chance to explore the extravagant Palm Jumeirah but I quickly improvise. I decided to take a mini solo trip to explore.

I changed from the train to a tram and then a monorail. The train that runs up and down the Palm Jumeirah is a separate ticket. The ticket was about 25 AED, 7 USD, but it has since then increased to 30 AED, 8 USD. The trip is definitely worth the extra ticket and the Palm Jumeirah is a wonderful experience.

View from the monorail station

The monorail cruised past tall building, Arabic inspired homes and suddenly we are flying over water. Resorts clung to the edge of the water and the monorail drifted over the many palm trees. The Atlantis resort rose above the trees and made its presence known.

Atlantic Resort

I decided to stroll along the boardwalk that looked out over the deep blue ocean. Thirst scratched at my throat.

Stroll along the boardwalk

Tiny makeshift cafes dotted the boardwalk. I choose one at random and take a seat, order a strawberry lemonade and relax. Speedboats dance on the open ocean, a lit breeze walks past me and the tartness from the lemonade lingers on my tongue. The moment seems to have been pulled from some exotic story and I wish for it to last forever.

Looking out over the oceanDelicious strawberry lemonade

I reluctantly take the last sip of lemonade as my time to leave approached.

The monorail sweeps me back towards the mainland and I make my way back to the hotel. My colleagues are already at the hotel and I collect my bags.

The sun lowers itself closer to the horizon and we are on our way to the airport. At the airport we have something to eat and board the plane.

This concludes my three-day adventure in exotic Dubai. It felt much long than only three days and I feel I really saw a lot. Dubai is a very interesting place with a lot going on. There is an intense mixture of old traditions and modern living, and it takes a moment to realize this.